Moments
by SupernaturalGeek
Summary: Tag to 'What Is and What Should Never Be'. Something about the 'other' reality that Dean saw has been bothering Sam.


_Author's notes: Ok, so I know this has been done to death and technically it hasn't even been shown here in the UK.. But I admit it – I caved and watched it online 'hangs head in shame' _

_I've been so good at avoiding temptation, but it sounded so awesome and boy,was it ever! I couldn't possibly do justice to the fantastic acting from Jensen & Jared, especially in that final scene, but this is my humble attempt at a little continuation from there... _

_And I still don't own them sadly 'sighs'_

"You know what I think?" said Sam, breaking the comfortable silence in the motel room.

"Usually, no." said Dean with a slight smirk. Sam shot him a quick glare and ignored the comment.

"I think the Djinn got it wrong." he said.

Dean glanced up again from the gun he was cleaning and gave Sam a look that clearly said 'tell me you did not just go there'. Sam however had years of practise at ignoring that look, and so carried on regardless.

"What he showed you? It was supposed to be the way things were, if Mom never died – right?" he said.

Dean grunted, which could have meant 'yes' or equally could have meant 'quit talking before I have to shoot you'.

Sam assumed it was the former, given their recent conversations on the whole shooting thing.

"Well, then that's my point. It screwed up. Because what it showed you could never happen."

Dean sighed, reconciling himself to the fact Sam wasn't about to let this go anytime soon. And he thought they'd been doing so well, avoiding the subject for the last two days.

"Fine. It could never happen. It wasn't real anyway, so there's no point talking about it." he said, getting back to the cleaning.

Sam rolled his eyes. "You don't even know what I'm talking about, Dean." he said and Dean shrugged.

"Nothing new there, Francis." he said and Sam huffed.

"Would you please pay attention, just for five minutes? I'm trying to say something here." he said.

"I know. That's why I'm trying to ignore you." said Dean dryly.

Sam stared, without blinking, until finally Dean threw the gun down on the bed and glared at Sam with frustration.

"God, you are annoying! Ok – you have my full attention, now what the hell are you talking about?" he said.

Sam gave a slightly triumphant grin at getting Dean to listen at last, but moved on before Dean's frustration had a chance to become dangerous. He did after all have weapons still in reach.

"Ok, you said that Mom was alive, and I was with Jess, but that we didn't get along right?" he said and Dean nodded.

"There you are then. What it was showing you there? That could never happen." said Sam, simply.

Dean raised an eyebrow. "Actually that could easily happen, Sam. I mean, come on – we're not exactly all that similar when it comes down to it. Which is of course a blessing in many ways." he said, earning himself a glare. "If we didn't have hunting, we wouldn't have ended up relying on each other as much as we do. Moving around like that, when we were kids, it wasn't exactly easy to make friends. We just didn't have anyone else, that's all." said Dean, forcing himself not to show how much it hurt to admit this out loud.

Sam looked at him incredulously.

"Are you seriously saying that you think the only reason you and I are as close as we are is because of hunting? Because we had no choice?" he said and Dean shrugged, awkwardly.

"You gotta admit Sammy, half the time I drive you crazy. And before Dad died? You were all about getting back to your normal life when we killed the demon." he said, a little sadly.

Sam shook his head. "When I said I wanted to go back to that life, I didn't mean that I didn't want you there as well, Dean. This – what we have. It isn't about hunting, or only having each other, or even about you saving me. You're my brother, Dean. You're not important to me because you watch my back, or because you raised me, or because you insist you're gonna save me from whatever the hell is coming. You're important because you're you – it's as simple as that." said Sam, softly.

Dean swallowed and looked up to meet Sam's gaze. He could see it right there in his brother's face, in his eyes. He truly meant what he'd just said. And even as the words hung in the air between them, Dean felt the pain at the memory of being estranged from his brother fading away.

He had to admit, it had bothered him that without hunting they had nothing between them except empty words and awkward silences. It had hurt, a lot, and it had played on old fears that he had no place in the world Sam wanted to make for himself one day. But here was Sam, his Sam, saying that hunting or no hunting nothing would ever change the closeness they had, or take away Dean's place in his brother's life. And that was more than Dean could have dared hope for.

His expression softened and a slight smile tugged at his lips as he muttered "Bitch."

Sam grinned, knowing that he'd got his point across and that Dean finally understood the place he held and would always hold in Sam's life.

"Jerk." he said, still grinning, and Dean felt something click back into place. Something that had been missing. Because Sam was right – the Djinn had got it wrong. Because moments like this, moments where it wasn't the words but the meaning behind them, that's what bound him and Sam together. And that's what gave Dean a home, even if it wasn't tied up in bricks and mortar and picket fences.

Because as long as he had this – quiet moments spent in crappy motel rooms, just being. As long as he had that, then he could keep going.

Maybe this reality wasn't perfect. Maybe there were a hundred things he'd change, if he could. But for all that he had lost, he still had his brother. And he wouldn't change that for the world.


End file.
